Detour Dave
RC2/Authentics 1967 Impala SS427 Burgundy
By Detour Dave
Mar 23, 2006 - 2:41:05 PM

Throughout the course of the past century, the pages of America’s automotive history have been filled with numerous legacies and legends, and among the most memorable of those stories are the chronicles of the classic Chevrolet Impala. Originally offered in 1958 as an option on the top of the line Bel-Air, the full-size Impala combined attractive styling with respectable performance qualities at an affordable price, quickly making it not only the top seller in Chevrolet’s lineup, but also the best selling automobile in the United States - a standing that would endure for 10 years.

The big news for the Impala came in 1961 with the introduction of the now legendary Super Sport option package, signaling the dawn of a new age in performance at Chevrolet. In fact, the Impala SS has been accredited more than once for ushering in the era of the muscle car, although this acknowledgement is more widely associated with Pontiac’s 1964 GTO. In essence, the Impala SS was every bit a muscle car, featuring special handling and drivability enhancements, a 7000-rpm tachometer and big-block V8 power as well as unique SS trim and badging.......

As Detroit’s Big Three withdrew their company wide bans on placing large displacement engines in intermediates, the muscle car wars were set in motion and the resulting popularity of the full-size high-performance dinosaurs, as they were often called, started to fade. Further SS equipped models began to populate Chevy’s lineup, starting with the Nova in 1963 followed by the Chevelle in 1964 and the world-class Camaro in 1967. Despite the strong following these mid-size muscle cars had received, the executives at Chevrolet never turned their backs on the original SS, and in 1967, the Impala returned with an all new look and an all new option code - RPO Z24, also known as the SS427.

  Advertised “for the man who’d buy a sports car if it had this much room”, the 1967 Impala SS427 was no ordinary Super Sport. The Z24 option code was in fact a high-performance package built around the biggest of the MK-IV big-blocks, including the L36 385hp 427-cid V8 and the more powerful L72 427, which was capable of cranking out 425 pavement pounding horses and 460 lb-ft of torque. The crew at Car Life put a 1967 Impala SS427 to the test, outfitted with the standard L36 power plant, recording 0- 60mph times in 8.4 seconds and a dash down the quarter mile in 15.7 seconds at 86mph.

Built in with the Z24 option package were other components such as redline tires wrapped around 14x6 wheels, a stiffer suspension, a front stabilizer bar, and a special domed hood with three simulated intake vents finished in brushed metal. Additional elements like the blacked-out vertical grille bars and small black panel between the rear taillights were shared with the standard Impala SS, as were the front Strato bucket seats, 4-speed center console, and the three round pod style gauges. Interestingly enough, the SS427 didn’t bear the Impala name anywhere on the car. Bold SS427 emblems were set in the front grille and on the rear decklid, complimented by a pair of 427 cross-flag emblems that flanked the front fenders.

Of the 13-million Impalas sold over the past 40 plus years, nearly a million alone accounted for SS models produced between 1961 and 1969. But as popular as the Impala SS was, the market for a full-size high-performance vehicle had become very limited by the end of the sixties with only 2,124 customers checking off the Z24 option in 1967, making the SS427 one of the rarest and most cherished of all the Super Sport Chevrolets. Trying to acquire a pristine copy of one of these super-sized Chevy’s in today’s market can prove to be a rather costly venture, both in time and money, but thanks to the Dyersville, Iowa based company of RC2, you can readily enjoy an extraordinary example of the 1967 Impala SS427 for less than the cost of a full tank of gas.

Presented in grand 1/18-scale diecast and part of RC2’s high detail Authentics series, this latest Impala is not only one incredible hulk of a model, it’s pretty easy on the eyes too. Body lines are sharp, gaps are minimal, and draped along that massive sweeping fastback profile is a beautiful coat of Royal Plum paint finished with a metallic flake that brilliantly sparkles when exposed to the sunlight. Equally as stunning is the precisely replicated v-shaped grille which has been accurately blacked out with a raised SS427 badge set in the middle of several chrome bars running left to right, bordered by a set of dual headlights and the Impalas optional front fender lights.

Aside from being good to look at, the dark paint also serves as an excellent contrast to details like the realistically simulated air ducts in the Impalas domed hood which are finished in electro-plated chrome with touches of black paint filling the recesses. I was particularly fond of the individual slices of chrome brightwork that trim the front, rear, and side glass as well as the wheel wells and rocker panels. Other emblems such as the Chevrolet script and 427 cross-flag tampos are properly positioned and a second SS427 badge is centered in the thin black panel between the rear taillights, just below a chrome plated keyhole in the trunk lid.

As attractive as the exterior appearance truly is, it’s in all honesty nothing more than an appetizer to other areas like the Impalas interior. Upon opening the realistically hinged doors, the first detail that caught my eyes were the thin chrome plated sill plates decorated with amazingly reproduced miniature Fisher emblems. From there, my eyes were immediately drawn to the optional 3-spoke wood grain steering wheel that sits in front of the Impala SS’s optional instrumentation package which includes a trio of legibly detailed round pod type gauges, one of which happens to be the 7,000-rpm tachometer. Overall, the instrumentation arrangement appeared so convincing that I could almost envision all the little gauges jumping to life.

Not only does this remarkably assembled interior offer ample amounts of detail for your eyes to search out, but there’s even a little exploring for your fingers to do as well. Take for example the Super Sports front Strato bucket seats that both fold and slide back and forth atop a fully carpeted floor. The soft-to-touch seats are detailed with an authentic pattern and a line of silver paint that highlights the frame while a set of seatbelt retractors rest on the floor with chrome plated latches. The feature I was most impressed with was the movable 4-speed gear shift which is part of the Impalas center console. With as much fun as I was having rowing through the gears, I feared I might break the shifter, but surprisingly, it held up well to my seemingly endless enjoyment.

Additional ingredients like the detailed foot pedals, rubber floor mats, and chrome plated door lock knobs and window cranks in combination with the Super Sport badge above the glove box and genuine Impala insignia centered in the rear bench seat effectively add a little more flavor to this otherwise delicious blend of details and working features. But it doesn’t stop there. On the other side of that rear seat is the Impalas opening trunk which is complete with a full size spare, an accurately patterned trunk mat and an instruction label on the underside of the trunk lid.

Now that I’ve wet your appetite, it’s time to check out what I feel is the real meat of the Authentics 1967 Impala SS427 - namely the very heart of this goliath. For starters, the hood rises up on a set of lifelike spring loaded hinges, detailed with a painted on insulation pad located on the underside of the hood. An additional layer of Chevy orange paint covers the 427’s engine block which features a pair of chrome plated valve covers that sit alongside a single 4-barrell carburetor that rests underneath the air cleaner’s flat black base. A chrome lid tops off the assembly, detailed with a 427 Turbo-Jet 425hp decal and a pretty cool molded in wing-nut. The bright orange block includes other genuine parts like a painted alternator and a massive a/c compressor along with the brackets and braces necessary to hold this equipment in place.

Given that we’ve covered the majority of the basic details, it’s time to break out the flashlight and magnifying glass and take an even closer look. What literally blew my mind is that virtually every part that should have some kind of wire or hose running to it actually does. Take the battery, for example, which is not only detailed with painted caps and a label, but also two flexible cables with painted connectors. The distributor is properly wired as is the realistically painted master cylinder and it appears all of the correct lines for the air conditioning and heating equipment are in place. I was actually tempted at one point to take the Impala SS apart just to see how everything was put together. Either way, this has to be one of the nicest engines I’ve ever seen in a model at the sub-$50 price point.

Believe it or not, there’s even more detail waiting to be uncovered on the underside of the Impala, including a wired starter and labeled oil filter as well as the fuel and power steering pumps, each of which have routed lines of their own. Unfortunately, you won’t find any fuel or brake lines, but in their place are several splashes of paint calling out such details as the front and rear sway bars in addition to the exhaust pipes and gas tank - which is painted with a realistic finish and a pair of straps. The front and rear suspension work on miniature coil springs and shock absorbers in the rear and the painted driveshaft rotates with a turn of the rear wheels. Speaking of wheels, this 67 Impala rides on a set of accurate redline tires wrapped around genuine Rally wheels which are detailed with chrome trim rings and Bowtie center caps.

Just as the Impala was and continues to be one of the top models in Chevrolet’s lineup, the same could be easily said of the Authentics 1/18 scale 1967 Impala SS427 for RC2. With everything that’s been built in to this mini SS, it should come as no surprise that at the time of this writing, an earlier released version of this model is well on its way to being crowned the 2005 Car of the Year, which is awarded by the members of the Diecast Pub - a large online forum for collectors of all scales. And to make things a little more exciting for this latest release, RC2 is offering a unique chase car version of the Royal Plum 67 Impala SS427 - featuring a black vinyl top and white line tires - which is limited to one chase car out of every six regular production copies. Whether you’re a Bowtie or SS aficionado, or merely an admirer of full-size cars in general, then it doesn’t matter which version you choose as the Authentics 1967 Impala SS427 is hands down a must have.


© Copyright 2006 by The Diecast Pub